The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-01-25


about twenty miles away, who had
written TO me, the previous summer,
inviting me TO visit her. She was a
maiden lady by the name of Delilah
Somerset. and though said to be rather
eccentric, would, no doubt. give us a
welcome. especially when / should in
form her of our unhappy relations at
home Consulting her letter, which
/ had kept. found i'm il all necessary in
formation in regard TO the journey, a
part of which was to be made by stage.
/ fairly Rugged myself when i remem-
bered that papa's generosity on his re-
cent home visit had left me plenty of
/ pocket money; and my dreams, that
night. were visited by visions of farm
house kitchens after the STYLE Wash
! ington Irving loved to describe among
! the old Dutch settlers, while a motherly
old lady kept saying: Bless you, my
! children as she h0aped our laps with
nuts and apples.
1.-The next morning, making a pre-
tense of taking Robbie out TO walk,
concealed a small travelling bag under
my shawl; and so we set out OH our
{ journey. | was in 4 fever of excite
ment, and nv cheeks burned like fire:
| but no one noticed my confusion, and
| I'm a short time Robbie and / were
whiZZing away on the morning train.
At the first stopping place we had to
exchange the coy, comfortable car for
| the Inconvenience of a time-wOrn
stage, without springs, which was wait
ing at the station, and which for the
next six miles, jolted US over the
toughest and widest of country roads.
1.-The town of Westbrooke, COnnecti-
cut, in which Aunt Delilah resided,
was a fiourishing little seaport; but
that lady, was informed, lived about
six miles from the town proper, in
| locality known as Horse Hill. was
not very favorably impressed with the
country; for after the first two miles of
travel, we seemed to leave civilization
behind us. We saw nothing but bleak
fields. lonely woods, and now and then
a solitary farmhouse. The fields were
covered with broad patches of rock, be-
tween the crevices of which grew a
wilderness of bayberry bushes, whose
thick. stubby growth gave the country
a look of indescribable melancholy.
As We went onward the signs of human
life and settlement grew less and less
| frequent, and finally, unable any longer
| to endure the terrible sense of loneli-
ness which was creeping over me, /
ventured TO ask the driver if he was
sure that we were on the right road?
"'Well. he responded-he was
lank, sharp-featured old man-with a
gOod-natured chuckle, I've run this
.rl
never been off the right track Wit, not
if | knOwed it. Seems kinder lonesome
TO you, | guess. Going TO stay long in
these parts?' he added, looking at me
| curiously.
"'I-don't know, | answered faint
ly. A sickening feeling of homesick-
ness was settling over me. and nv one
comforting thought was that Aunt De-
lilah might possibly fail to take the
same view of the case that had. and
would send us directly home. | was
vainlv trying to rally my courage when
the stage stopped in the drrariest place
Imaginable. AT first glance saU no
house: but the old man directed me 10
take lane at my left and would soon
come to it. The building was partly
out of sight over the brow of hill. the
roof only being visible from the street.
He kindly took down the bars which
barricaded the entrance TO the lane:
and, thanking him for his trouble, |
took Robbie by the hand and walked
over the hill.
'Well, pretty soon we reached the
house. 1t was story and half farm
house. from which the paint had de-
parted, leaving it a whitish brown.
standing behind ghOstly row of tall
poplars, which have never since failed
to send a shudder through me wherever
/ have seen them. Weary and heart
sick, | approached the door. and rails
ing the old brass knOcker sent hollow
appeal through the house Receiving
no answer, | repeated it again and
again, but always with the same result.
AT last | tried the door, only to find il
securely fastened. Investigation showed
that every curtain was down and every
door locked. My dears, | can never
forget the horror of that moment.
Aunt Delilah was not at home, For
moment NV heart failed me. The
rumble of the stage wheels had already
died away; and there we wanderers
stood, miles. Tor aught knew, from a
human habitatiOn, out in the bitter
winters cold, and without the slightest
knowledge as to when my aunt might
return. As ! stood i'm mental debate. a
snowflake fell on my hand, and looking
up. | saw that the air was fast becom-
ing filled with the little white meSsen-
gers from the clouds.
al don't like this auntie' came i'm
dOleful wall from Robbie. At this
moment. i want TO 90 homer
Poor child! He had eaten only q
few cakes since breakfast.
Never mind, Sister will try and |
get i'm some of the windows and get |
her darling something to eat. said, |
making an effort to speak cheerfully, |
and trying, as | spoke, to raise one of !
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